Make a short film and work with the city’s TV industry

Our City is Bristol Media’s annual short film competition for Bristol’s young people that captures just what makes our city the most creative, rebellious, diverse and pioneering place to live and work. The project is supported by Royal Television Society West, as part of Bristol’s UNESCO City of Film project.

Supported by the Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, Our City is sponsored by the city’s major production companies, including Aardman, Doghouse, Drummer TV, Films@59 and Icon Films – who also judge the entries. The winning films will be used by the Mayor and international broadcasters to show the world what a creative force we are.

Marvin Rees says: “This is a great opportunity for aspiring young filmmakers from a diverse range of backgrounds to break into Bristol’s media industry and show us what they’ve got to offer. I want to unlock this talent and showcase what makes Bristol so special. I’m grateful to the city’s cultural sector for supporting this initiative and I want to wish everyone the best of luck with their submissions. I look forward to seeing new and innovative interpretations of the city and its character.”

David Sproxton, Executive Chair, Aardman Animations, adds: “Aardman is very pleased to be part of the initiativ to help develop the potential of young film directors from the City’s very diverse population. It’s an exciting project with the aim to make a short film encapsulating the spirit of Bristol and we are keen to support the winning entry in whatever way we can.”

Laura Marshall, Managing Director, Icon Films, says: “Icon Films is proud to support Our City. Bristol is our home and we need to nurture young, creative talent. We look forward to opening our doors to four of the winners; offering work placements which cover various stages of development, pre-production, production, post-production and the marketing of our projects. Icon Films is diverse, energetic and ambitious and we hope that their time with us informs, inspires and helps them on their journey into the creative industry”.

As well as a £1000 cash prize for the winner, the partner companies will work directly with all short-listed finalists to build their skills and experience. They’ll be supported by community media organisations including Calling the Shots, Creative Youth Network, Knowle West Media Centre, Rife, Sharpshotz and Ujima Radio. This is a great opportunity to show individual talent and work with professionals which could lead to the first step into the industry.

So if you are a film-maker, work with creative young people or want to increase the engagement of your creative company, this competition is for you!

The Brief

Produce a 90 second film, animation or motion video suitable for use on social media that captures your view of what makes Bristol THE place to be – creativity, culture, people, music, technology, action, collaboration, lifestyle – through story or performance.

The Rules

• Your entry must not be longer than 90 seconds.
• You can use any digital device – computer, phone or camera.
• We welcome projects produced by a team, though the lead creatives – director, producer, writer or composer must be under 30 years old, or a student.
• You must own or clear the copyright of all the content in your submission – including music.
• It must be suitable for all audiences, with no “explicit content” requiring a disclaimer.
• Your submission must be MP4 or Quicktime format.
• Be sure to follow the updates on Facebook or via the Twitter feed @FilmOurCity

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY

The competition is open for entries and closes on 30 November, with results announced in December.

“We are proud to be involved in this exciting initiative and hope to have even more young film makers take up the opportunity this year and are looking forward to nurturing more new and emerging talent from the City” said Rachel Drummond-Hay, MD, Drummer TV.

Julian Barton Hill, CEO Doghouse Post-Production: “As an independent company, Doghouse thrives on pursuing and nurturing young local talent, Our City is the perfect platform for that first introduction to the industry for any budding film maker. Bristol’s creative sector is bubbling with talent and the exciting opportunities that are created by this competition benefits employers and the individuals waiting for their first step onto the career ladder. We’re proud to be sponsoring again and look forward to this year’s entries.”

Gina Fucci, MD, Films@59, adds: “Films at 59 is very excited to be a part of the Our City competition. Following on from everyone else’s comments, we can’t wait to see the results. This initiative is about discovering and nurturing creative potential and we know Bristol will inspire all the competitors to do great things!” 

See the winners of the Our City 2018 film competition and watch their entries here.